Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
Blank NEWS Online can authoritatively report that the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has extended the tenure of the caretaker committee of the party led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi by another twelve months.
The resolution was reached at the convention which took place at the PDP Secretariat, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following the decision of party delegates from different parts of the country to amend the agenda of the convention.
Senator Makarfi had earlier inaugurated the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party in a meeting held at the Rivers State Government House.
Senator Makarfi, in a briefing said, in the absence of elected national officers, members of the caretaker committee of the party would be members of NEC which comprises PDP Governors, National Assembly Caucus , Board of Trustees, National Caucus, 36 State PDP chairmen and national officers of the Party.
In an interview with journalists, Governor Okowa described what was going on in the PDP as the beauty of democracy, noting that the party was becoming stronger and more united.
The governor stated that the party has structures that were laid to stand the test of time and expressed satisfaction with the large turn-out of delegates, including former governors, former chairmen of the party at the convention.
The Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike had also announced officially on Wednesday after the police prevented the party from holding its National Convention that the convention is now rescheduled for next year to enable the party fully reconcile.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State and Taraba States Governors, Ayo Fayose and Darius Ishaku, were on Wednesday held hostage by the police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,.
Fayose and Ishaku who were in Port Harcourt to attend the National Convention of their party, the Peoples Democratic Party, were however, held hostage inside the Old Presidential Lodge where they were accommodated by the Rivers State Government when the police decided to stop the National Convention.
“No one could go in or leave the Old Presidential Lodge until after the policemen and Armoured Personnel Carrier deployed to seal Convention venue and other places were removed”, an eye witness told Blank NEWS Online.
Before the bubble burst, the Rivers State Police Command, through its spokesman, Nnamdi Omoni, said on Tuesday that it had made adequate security arrangements for the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Nnamdi Omoni, said “The command is prepared for the convention; necessary deployments have been carried out and we are prepared for the convention. Remember, that there are other Nigerians living in the state. The command is aware of this fact and will provide security for all, including those attending the convention and others living in the state.”
Recall that sequel to an application by counsel to the Ali Modu-Sheriff faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a federal high court sitting in Abuja had stopped the convention of the PDP from holding in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, as planned by the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the party.
After hearing submissions from both parties on Tuesday, Justice Okon Abang, said:
“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining the defendants, any of them, their servant agents from conducting the national convention of PDP and supervising and monitoring same under any guise or electing any national officer of the defendant pending the determination of the substantive suit.
“An order of Interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining PDP from presenting anybody and sponsoring any person for election and holding any national convention or conference in the purpose of electing any national officers of the second defendants.
“An order of Interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining INEC from monitoring the national convention of PDP scheduled for Port Harcourt on 17th August.”
However, he said the judgments of the Port Harcourt division granting the Makarfi faction a go-ahead still subsists, adding that they are processes of setting the judgement aside.
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Nigeria (Blank NEWS Online) –
E.I.C: Albert Eruorhe Ograka
